Tagged
by Jessy-Fran
Summary: A story of spray paint and rival gangs. In Deidara's world gangs and graffiti are part of daily life. But what will happen when his skills become the street's hottest property? And will Sasori get what he wants? AU!SasoDei DISCONTINUED.
1. Anonymous Names

A/N: Okay, I said that I was never going to write something for Naruto but the Akatsuki compelled to! Actually it was more the fact that SasoDei (And the Naruto fandom in general) has so many damn Highschool!AU stories! I almost went over to the dark side but then I looked at my art project, which is on graffiti, and thus this idea was born! Please note that I have no experience of gang culture and/or graffiti so if anything is wrong please tell me! Definitions of terms are at the bottom.

A Big Thankyou to my darling Beta. You must thank her for the apostropes being in the correct places!

I hope you enjoy reading it as much I enjoyed writing it! And if you do like it, please drop me a review, so I can see how well this is recieved and if i should continue!

* * *

"Shit, I'm gonna be late!" the dark figure hissed as he pulled the mask further over his face. The night air was crisp against Deidara's skin as he rushed through the empty streets but the cold wasn't the only reason for him donning a mask. Deidara was the 'Tagger' of the Akatsuki, one of the most influential gangs in Konoha City, second only to the Suna Group. He didn't want anybody recognising him, as he'd learnt a long time ago that a mistake like that could easily prove to be fatal. The Akatsuki's last tagger had got himself shot when he got too cocky and went over another gangs tag. Not the smartest idea ever. So when Deidara was accepted into the hallowed ranks of the Akatsukis' graffiti artists he found that his identity was kept hidden. Everything from his name to his painting style was changed. So now anything done for the Akatsuki was done in a strict colour code of black, red and white. A colour scheme that was not repeated in any of his other works. Eventually, after a lot of hard graft Deidara had become the Akatsuki Number one writer, a title he planned on keeping.

The ever-present smog filled his nose and mind. He always found the scent of the city intoxicating, allowing his head to clear from the stress of his regular life as Deidara Iwa and to take on his street persona of 'Blast'. His art was scrawled across many a wall and appeared on most street corners. An explosion of sharp lines and angles, filled with an insane colour scheme. Each piece would spell out the word "Blast". Sometimes on larger areas, like bill-boards and parked train-cars he'd write "Art is a Blast" but since that took so much time and paint he didn't do it often.

Turning the final corner Deidara reached his destination, a disused warehouse on the old industrial estate. The entire exterior of the ground floor was covered in a menagerie of colour, and much of it was Deidara's own work and he was always quick to point out this fact to the other members of the Akatsuki. Striding confidently towards the main room Deidara checked he had all the tools of his trade in his bag. The spray-cans knocked against each other as he zipped the bag up and started forward again.

"Blast! We were being to think you weren't going to show." The familiar voice echoed in the deserted building, making Deidara jump. Not that he'd ever show that. Grinning behind his mask he finally entered the room.

Around him sat three similarly masked people, each of them with a fierce reputation on the streets of Konoha.

On his right was the shirtless figure of his closest friend, Hidan who had long ago decided that he'd rather not have an alias. His grey, slicked back hair shone under the artificial lights of the warehouse and around his neck hung a pendent that he never seemed to remove. When asked about it he would start ranting about some bizarre religion so the rest of the Akatsuki had learnt simply not to ask. Across from Hidan sat the elegant 'Miss Blue'. The only female member of the Akatsuki, she had demanding presence and eyes that could scare any toy out there. Her name came from the unnatural colour of her hair, which Deidara always considered a stupid thing to have as it marked her out. Not many people had bright blue hair. Last, but most certainly not least, sat 'Leader'. With a shock of orange hair and piercings all over his face and ears, you would think that he would stand out in a crowd. However Leader was one of those people who could sit in the same room as you, watching your every movement and you would never notice. It was this silent power that gave him control over the members of the Akatsuki. Nobody knew the full extent of his skills, but the rumours that everyone had heard meant that nobody want to find out first hand.

Leader crossed his arms and leant back in the tattered chair.

"Now that everybody is-"

"Deidara-Sempai!" A voice depicting absolute glee rang out from the doorway and the tagger was knocked over as a heavy object collided with his body. Said object quickly removed himself from on top of the blonde and began tugging sharply on his sleeve in an attempt to pull Deidara up off the floor. The irate blonde stood up and adjusted his facemask so that it covered his face again. After quickly sorting himself he turned to the bundle of energy and smacked him upside the head.

"I've told you before, Tobi, you can't call me that! Do you want me dead, hmm?"

"Tobi is sorry, Deida- I mean Blast-Sempai! I'll try to be good!"

Deidara grabbed hold of the front of Tobi's jacket and pulled his arm back ready to punch the orange masked boy seven ways from Sunday, until he was stopped by a sharp cough behind him. Turning around, Deidara was met by the cold eyes of Leader.

"Are you two finished?" He asked in a way that said if it wasn't, it most certainly was now.

Releasing his hold on the younger boy's jacket and letting him fall to the floor Deidara mumbled something along the lines of 'bloody partner' and took his place next to Hidan, who simply grinned at him, although you couldn't see it through the mask. Tobi coughed a little, regaining his breath, said a quick 'Sorry Leader-Sama' and sat on the other side of Deidara, keeping his distance.

Leaders cold voice began again, "Now that you're all acting like members of the Akatsuki, I can allow the meeting to begin."

* * *

The street lights started to flicker on as Sasori stood in front of a large bill-board close to the main road. His arms were folded against him as protection against the bite of the night air and his eyes narrowed to slits as once more he took in the sight before him. The colours of the graffiti were impressive and the position of the piece was perfect. Anybody driving on the main road would see it and recognise the name.

In black and red was the name 'Akatsuki' followed by the typical cloud that had come to be known in Konoha as the symbol of the notorious gang. _'This was obviously done by a pro,'_ Sasori thought as he continued to gazed at the board. '_But who the hell was it?!_'

"It seems the Akatsuki are becoming more adventurous." A deep voice behind Sasori commented. To this Sasori nodded in agreement. This bill-board was on their turf and this piece, along with the other tags in the area spelt potential danger for the Suna Group.

"I don't want any trouble Kakuzu. You will inform Itachi to slash this. And soon." Sasori didn't turn around when he spoke but judging by his tone Kakuzu could tell that Sasori was livid. Turning on his heel he started to leave when Sasori spoke again.

"Don't make me wait, Kakuzu."

Kakuzu smirked at Sasoris' back.

"Do I ever, Akasuna-Sama?" And with that, he shuffled off into the night to search for the Suna Groups best tagger, Itachi Uchiha.

Sasori let his lips curled into the smallest of smiles but did not answer. Not that Kakuzu expected him to answer.

Turning his eyes and mind back to the problem at hand, Sasori sighed and raised a hand to rub the bridge of his nose. He really didn't need a turf war right now, and Sasori was running out of ideas to keep his group in the Number One spot. His current tagger, Itachi, couldn't keep up with the pace and there were rumours that the years of painting without goggles were taking a toll on his eyesight.

Sasori had been considering taking up a new writer for a while and one name constantly stood out as he walked the streets of Konoha.

Blast.

Who was this 'Blast'? Sasori had been a free-lance writer for a while and then formed the Suna Group a few years back but never had he heard of an up-and-coming writer called Blast. His tags simply appeared one morning, obviously after a night of heavy bombing and more kept appearing all over the city. It infuriated Sasori that he might have missed out on a skilled and valuable person.

Looking back at the bill-board a shiver of anger ran under his skin. If things carried on the way they were the Suna Group would lose the reputation it had build up over the years. Sasori was not willing to let that happen.

Pulling out his phone from his jean pocket he punched in a number he seemed to be calling a lot lately.

"Zetsu? …Yeah, it's me. I need you to find out everything you can about this Blast guy. … Yeah I know he's practically untraceable, that's why I'm asking you to do it! … Good. And don't make me wait." Sasori hung up and replaced the phone into his pocket.

He looked back up to the bill-board before turning around and stalking off towards his apartment, footsteps echoing in the still night air.

* * *

**Terms**

'Toy' - An inexperienced or unskilled graffiti writer.

'Tag' - A stylized signature, normally done in one color. Used to mark a gangs territory.

'Slash' – To put a line through or to tag over somebody else's graffiti. This is considered a great insult.

'Bombing' – To bomb is to paint many surfaces in one area. Bombers often use tags as these are faster to paint.

'Writer' – A Graffiti artist.


	2. Shake It Up

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.** Damn.

**A/N:** I'm so happy over how well this has been received! I hope you all like this chapter as much as the last! It's been a bit of a pain to write as I have to get all the boring parts that set up the plot over and done with before I can start the juicy bits! Also I'm sorry that this is another short chapter.

Again, thanks to my darling Beta for keeping my mistakes to a minimum!

**Warning:** Hidan's bad language.

* * *

A piercing wail broke through the silence of the morning. Reaching for his alarm clock, Deidara closed his eyes tighter as though it would help to drown out the sound. Failing to locate the 'off' switch, the blonde chose the easier yet more expensive option of throwing the device against the opposite wall. With the offending object silenced and now laying in pieces by the door, Deidara dared to crack open an eye. The sun streamed through the blinds which barely covered the window making him blink as the light hit his eyes. Outside, the sounds of a slowly waking city could be heard. The warning sound of a reversing lorry mingled with quiet roar of the main road and the incessant chatter of the people in the streets gave birth to a melody that Deidara never tired of hearing.

Eventually Deidara decided that he had spent enough time lying in bed and got up to turn to shower on. The next five minutes were spent attempting to locate a clean towel in his apartment, which Deidara soon deemed a task too demanding and opted to use the same towel he'd being using for the past week.

As the hot water hit his back and washed away the remains of yesterday, Deidara's mind wandered back to last nights meeting and the issues then had been raised.

"_As you all know__ the Akatsuki's main aim is to be the most feared and respected group in Konoha" Leader's voice began. Around the room heads nodded slightly. "A few weeks ago it was decided that to achieve this goal we must expand our territory. Blast has done a number of throw-ups around the City to show the smaller groups we mean business." Leaders eyes fell to rest on Deidara as he spoke "But you realise that it's not them we're worried about."_

_Deidara raised his head and smirked, "Yeah, but don't you worry about the Suna Group, hmm. I did a little… doodling, on their side of town."__ Leader raised an eyebrow at this. _

"_Like what?"_

"_Well you know the huge bill-board near the South Square__, un?"_

"_Hmm...?"_

"_Well, I did a huge piece on it! You can read it from a mile off, un!" Deidara's smirk widened to a grin beneath the mask._

"_No-fucking-way man!" Hidan breathed in awe, eyes wide in admiration. "That's in the middle of Suna territory! You had some balls to do that!"_

"_Ha! It was more difficult getting up there, un!"_

_Leader closed his eyes and frowned a little._

"…_I do not want you dead Blast and I hope you realise that. Take care next time." The ringed-eyes opened and snapped upwards to look straight at Deidara's face. "You are worth far more to me alive."_

Deidara shuddered at the memory. Leader's eyes scared Deidara, for reasons he himself could not fully understand. The blonde made himself believe it was because they could read a person like an open book, but he knew it was more then that. Leader's eyes were always so calculating. Although Deidara would never call them emotionless. In fact Leader's eyes were the only why to tell he was feeling anything at all.

Shaking his head out of his reverie, Deidara realised that the water running over him had gone cold. Turning off the shower and wrapping a towel around him, the blonde got dried, dressed and headed to the kitchen for something to eat.

As he was contemplating the nutritional values of stale bread, there was a sharp knocking on the door. Deidara heard an argument beginning to kick-off on his front door step and so hurried to let his visitor in.

"Oh come on babe! You know you want to!"

"Not if you were the last man on Earth, Hidan!"

"You don't know what you're missing!"

Opening his door, Deidara saw the back of Hidan's head who was currently flirting viciously with one of his neighbours.

"Hidan. Shut up and get inside, un." Deidara sighed as he hooked his finger in his friend's shirt collar and pulled him into the flat backwards. The silver-haired shouted a quick "call me!" before the door closed.

"The hell Blondie?!"

"Good morning to you, un." Deidara yawned in reply. He'd never been good in the mornings, even after a shower.

"Jeez man, you really cramp my style. You know that?!" Hidan stretched out over Deidara's couch as he watched he finish getting ready for work.

"Only when you're hitting on my neighbours, un!" The blonde shot at his unwanted guest from under the table. He was trying to grab his shoes, though how they got there Deidara had no idea.

"Come on Blondie! She's fucking hot! I can't believe you haven't tried getting into her pants yet!"

Deidara turned bright red and busied himself with trying the unnecessarily long laces on his boots. Hidan's face lit up at the reaction his words received and grinned before adding, "Unless Blondie, you're not into girls…"

Deidara suddenly sat up straight and glared daggers at his friend. Finishing off his boots with a flourish, he stood up, grabbed his coat and marched out the door.

Hidan simply smirked at the retreating blonde's back before hauling himself off the couch and also exiting the apartment, slamming the door behind him.

-

Deidara and Hidan worked together in a fairly successful restaurant. In fact it was how the two met each other, although at first Deidara thought Hidan to be a masochistic zealot and Hidan saw the blonde as a waste-of-space artist. Eventually they found each of their assumptions to be completely correct but this didn't stop the two from becoming close friends.

"Deidara! Table five needs serving! And that group at the bar need their bill!"

"Okay, okay! I'm on it, un!" A frustrated blonde backed out of the kitchen, his arms laden with plates of food and a pen gripped between his teeth.

"I'll get the bill! Gimme that!" The pen was whipped away by Hidan who quickly moved to the till.

Saturdays were always this busy. It seemed to Deidara that the whole of Konoha City drifted through the restaurant's doors on nights like these. Not that he minded. Being a waiter in a place like this meant that he met lots of new and exciting people. Deidara wasn't one for familiarity and loved a little bit of chaos in his life, so his job suited him perfectly.

Manoeuvring around filled tables and chairs, Deidara came to table five and placed the dishes down carefully. Noticing that there was a lot of food and only one person, he glanced upwards to look at the customer and realised that he wasn't the usual type who came to this restaurant.

The man's hair was green for a start and this shocked Deidara. Not because of the colour but due to the fact that the restaurant management didn't usually let people with unnatural hair colour in. They said it give the customers and bad impression. In fact, Hidan had to prove his hair was naturally grey before they let him work there.

The stranger was also wearing sunglasses. In the evening. Indoors. The first thought Deidara had was that the man was blind, but then when the green-topped head turned to face him and the blonde caught a glimpse of bright yellow eyes, that idea quickly disappeared.

Reaching into his back pocket and grabbing and beaten up note pad, Deidara tore his eyes away from the pits of yellow and asked if he wanted anything else.

"Water please." The man answered, never taking his eyes off Deidara's face. It was unnerving to say the least but after all the years of being mistaken for a girl, Deidara had grown used to it.

"Would you prefer sparkling or still?"

"Still."

"_No, sparkling._" This voice was deeper then the one the man had used before and left Deidara feeling slightly shocked. The green haired man sighed and after some quiet mutterings to himself, ordered both types of water.

The blonde stared in disbelief for a moment but quickly caught himself.

"Okay, I'll be back in a moment sir, un!" Deidara flashed a quick smile and ran to the counter. Whilst gathering the bottles of water and glasses, he noticed a flustered looking Hidan.

"Oi, Hidan! ...What's got you in such a state?" He asked.

"My fucking ex is here with her new fucking boyfriend!" The grey haired man hissed with unadulterated anger and… was that jealousy?

"I thought you broke up with her." The confused blonde frowned.

"I did! She was a money-grabbing whore!"

"Then why are you so fucking moody?!"

"Because he's the owner of that sweet ride parked outside!" Hidan all but yelled.

A wave of realisation hit Deidara. Hidan had only got this job because he really wanted a new car. His current heap of scrap metal cost him more money then it was worth, and was an accident waiting to happen. Deidara knew his friend would give his right arm for a piece of machinery like the one parked in front of the restaurant.

Laughing at his friends predicament, Deidara wove his way through the tables once again to table five where that strange customer sat. The blonde had a strange feeling that the man was watching him but, because of the glasses, he couldn't be sure.

"Here's your water sir. Enjoy your meal, un."

The green-haired customer simply nodded and began to eat.

Deidara made his way back over to where Hidan was glaring over the counter at his ex and, more importantly, her new boyfriend.

"Hey Hidan! Ya know that guy I've just been serving?" Deidara tried to take his friend's attention away from the couple but it was to no avail.

"Fucking posh bastard with his fucking beautiful car…" Hidan muttered, paying no heed to Deidara or his question.

"Hey Deidara, Hidan! Stop slacking and get on with your jobs!" A frown accompanied the assistant supervisor's words. Deidara nodded, elbowed Hidan in the ribs and hurried ff to take yet another tables order.

-

Zetsu watched as the young blonde zipped in and out between the tables, balancing various drinks and dishes precariously on a tray carried in one hand.

"He certainly has the poise and speed to be a writer…" He muttered to himself.

"_But is he 'Blast'?_"

Zetsu considered this for a moment before answering his own question.

"All the evidence points to it, I suppose."

"_Ha, Sasori won't be best pleased._"

"What makes you say that?"

"_That boy is what Sasori-san would call a brat._"


	3. Fighting Words

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. **Damn.

**A****/N: **Okay guys, next chapter! All your comments make me so happy, so and big 'Thank You' to all who have read or reviewed so far! Forgive me for the lack of an update!

Oh and just so you know, this is an AU fic and since I never said it was in _our _universe I'll just be making up how the gangs work. Yes, I realise that graffiti crews and gangs are totally different and I don't claim to be an expert in either area, but just to make this story work I'll be calling the shots on how the gangs in my fictional city are ran. –Insert evil laugh-

* * *

At the end of their shift at the restaurant, Hidan somehow managed to talk his way back to Deidara's apartment. Not that the blonde minded, of course.

"Hey Blondie! You got any beer?" Hidan called from the kitchen as Deidara got changed from his waiter uniform.

"Yeah, it's at the bottom of the fridge!"

Hidan pulled out a six-pack of cheap lager. Not happy with his find, he then preceded to search in every cupboard of Deidara's kitchen until he'd found a large bottle of rip-off vodka and an ancient bottle of gin.

Grinning, Hidan made his way out of the kitchen to settle on the worn out couch surrounded by his finds.

Deidara came out of his room changed into a pair of dungaree-style jeans, a plain blue t-shirt and a grey hoodie tied around his waist. He stopped and sighed when he saw his friend with an almost empty bottle of gin in one hand and three empty cans of lager crushed on the floor.

"You better not get too drunk. You know I won't be cartin' your arse home, un."

Hidan simply grinned and threw one of the few remaining cans to Deidara who caught it deftly in one hand. Handling spray cans helps with one's hand-eye coordination.

"So Hidan," Deidara started after a huge swig of the drink, "You going to come on a 'walk' with me?" A secretive grin worked its way across his face.

Hidan sat up and smirked, "Only if I can take the bottle of vodka with me."

-

A few hours later and Deidara and Hidan were happily defacing a park wall. Well, Deidara was defacing a park wall whilst Hidan drunkenly chatted about the meaning of life.

"I mean, when I die, Jashin-Sama will accept me with open arms. But you fucking heathens are all gonna be stuck in the eternal fiery depths of hell, and shit." He sat slumped against a bench, empty bottle of vodka in hand. Hidan had a pretty high alcohol tolerance but he'd totally underestimated the potency of the cheap vodka Deidara bought. In the blonde's mind, the higher the alcohol content, the less he had to drink to get completely smashed, therefore saving what little money he had.

"Hidan, what about if you don't believe in Jashin, un? Are our eternal souls destined for another fate?" Deidara wouldn't usually talk to Hidan when he was ranting about his religion but tonight decided to humour him.

"That's what I mean Blondie! Dear Jashin, haven't you been listening to anything I've been saying?"

"Not really, un."

"Hey, your fucking loss." Hidan put the bottle to his lips and tried to take another swig of alcohol, forgetting that the bottle was empty. Sighing dramatically, the religious zealot got up and staggered to his friend's side.

"Here gimme that!" He slurred, swiping the spray can out of Deidara's hand and replacing it with the empty bottle.

The artist smiled at his friends actions and simply watched as a roughly sprayed 'Hidan' was written across the elaborately painted 'Blast', complete with a cartoon style bomb. Deidara didn't mind that Hidan had gone over his work. In fact, in his opinion the way that graffiti is created and then destroyed, either by cleaning or somebody going over it, made the piece even more beautiful. That's why Deidara would always pick areas to paint that were easy to see and reach. The quicker one of his works of art was removed or painted over, the more stunning it was. Sometimes he'd spend a whole night covering a building in his art, only to stand in the crowd the next day and watch as it was knocked down.

After a while of staring into space, Deidara heard the distinctive sound of a heavy bass-line coming from the inside of a car. Snapping out of his reverie, the artist turned his head to where he believed the sound was coming from.

A sleek looking car was cruising past the park fence, stopping just outside one of the many terraced house that surrounded the park. Deidara frowned. Where had he seen this car? It was recently, he knew that much…

When realisation hit, Deidara mentally slapped himself on the face.

_Of course! It was the same car that Hidan had been spazzing out over at work!_

"Hey Hidan. Isn't that your ex making out with her new boyfriend. On the hood of his car…?"

At this, Hidan's head snapped upwards and turned in the direction Deidara was looking. In a few seconds his face had expressed the feeling of indignity all the way through to pure, unadulterated anger.

"The little fucker! I bet he knows I'm here and only wants to rub it in my face!"

"Hidan, I really doubt that. Besides he can kiss whoever he wants!" Deidara weakly protested, although he knew it wouldn't do much good.

"Fuck her, I mean his car!" Pink eyes narrowed as Hidan crept over to the fence in what he thought was an incredibly stealthy way. Deidara, however, had to hold back a laugh at his friend's actions. It was obvious that the alcohol still had a firm hold over Hidan's mind and thought processes.

The couple had entered the house without spotting Hidan hiding in the park shrubbery and the blonde took this as a lucky sign. Thanking whatever deity was up there, Deidara hastily retrieved the can of paint Hidan had dropped and jogged over to join his friend who was currently admiring the car from all possible angles.

Blue eyes watched warily as Hidan slunk around the car with a shit-eating grin on his face. He ran his fingers over the hood of the vehicle and glanced up at the window of the house. Suddenly Hidan's eyes widened in realisation, but quickly narrowed to slits.

"Hey Dei, lend me one of your cans."

Deidara frowned. Hidan only used his real name when he was in a really good mood or had a really bad idea.

"Why…?"

"Just give me the god-damned paint" Hidan hissed, "I don't have much time!"

"Time for wh-" Deidara started to speak but was cut off when Hidan simply reached forward and grabbed the spray can out of his hand.

"Shut up and tell me if anyone is coming."

Deidara shrugged at his friend's behaviour. _He's drunk, I really can't be arsed dealing with his anger at the moment…_

Sensing defeat, he turned around and glanced down the street in both directions. There was nobody around apart from an old homeless guy huddled up by some bins.

"There's only some tramp asleep half way down the road." Deidara paused. "Hidan, what are you doing?!" He hissed in a half whisper. The blonde was worried he was going to end up doing something stupid.

"Shut the fuck up Blondie! If you don't wanna help me then fucking go home!"

In the air hung the scent of wet paint and solvent and the sound of heavy breathing. Deidara saw his breath curl in the air as he kept watch for any passer-by's. The blonde was about to tell his friend to hurry up but he was stopped short when the other man spoke.

"There! Now that is a piece of fucking art!" Hidan grinned manically and stepped back to admire his work.

"What are you- Shit." Deidara was speechless. Across the drivers side of the sleek car Hidan was lusting over only hours ago were the words "Jashin Made Me Do It" followed by the same symbol Hidan wore around his neck on a chain.

"What do you think, eh Blondie?" Hidan snickered, "That is art!" A twisted sort of pride gleamed in his eyes as he ran his fingers over the hood of the now ruined car. Deidara slapped his hand away from the vehicle

"Hidan you prat! That's fucking vandalism!"

"What? And that crap you spray onto walls nightly isn't?!"

"No! I don't paint onto private property! Or expensive cars!" Deidara couldn't believe how much of an idiot Hidan was being.

"Oh come on! You know as well as I do that what you call a hobby is fucking illegal!" Hidan yelled back at Deidara, "So don't you fucking dare get all high and mighty with me!"

"That's it Hidan. I'm not dealing with your shit whilst you're smashed." Deidara turned to walk away but Hidan had other ideas.

Now that the alcohol had numbed his senses, Hidan thought nothing of grabbing Deidara by the shoulders and throwing him against the nearest wall. Deidara, being smaller then Hidan in both height and build, was instantly winded. Whilst he was trying to catch his breath, Hidan took the opportunity to punch him hard in the shoulder, causing the blonde to hiss in pain.

"Hidan! Fucking stop it, un!" Deidara coughed out between blows, "You're drunk!"

"And what if I don't?! What is the mighty 'Blast' going to do now?" Hidan drew his foot back and Deidara closed his eyes, readying himself for another steel capped kick.

-

Walking down a back alley that headed in the general direction of the park, Sasori tried to clear his head.

Zetsu had reported back that a blonde called Deidara was the artist commonly known on the streets as 'Blast'. He'd also said that this Deidara guy worked at some fancy restaurant uptown. Sasori had visited the place but was told that he had already finished his shift. Once the manger had left though, one of the waitresses had sidled up to Sasori and told him that Deidara could often be found at the park. Upon asking what the boy looked like he merely gained a nod to the 'Employee of the Month' wall. There under a few of the pictures was 'Deidara Iwa'. The photograph showed a shockingly effeminate man with long blonde hair. Sasori knew that if he saw the man he would know exactly who he was.

Deidara didn't seem like the kind of person one could forget easily.

Reaching the park, Sasori instantly saw two boys spraying paint all over a wall. Well, one was staring into space whilst the other painted 'Hidan' on the wall.

Upon closer inspection the red hair man realised that the other boy was Deidara.

_Well, that solves one problem. But how to introduce myself__? And how do I even know Zetsu was right about this kid…?_

As Sasori leant against a wall, deep in thought, he didn't notice the other two crossing the road and congregating around a car.

It was only when he heard the sounds of arguing did he bring himself out of his trance.

"And what if I don't?! What is the mighty 'Blast' going to do now?" The silver haired half of the duo spat.

Had Sasori heard correctly?

So Zetsu was right, that boy defiantly was 'Blast'. He made a mental note to himself to thank the man later. But for now he had to stop the boy from getting the shit kicked out of him.

"Hey. Leave that kid alone."

Hidan started at the new voice and turned to see who had interrupted him and Deidara lent up on his elbows to see who had stalled Hidan.

Bathed in the orange glow of the street lights stood another man. He wore a red hooded jacket with the hood drawn up so it was difficult to see his face but judging by the sound of his voice, he had to be a few years older then both Hidan and Deidara. The stranger had an air about him that demanded respect.

"Who the fuck are you to tell me what to do?!" Hidan yelled. He tried to aim a punch it the taller man's face but, partly due to the amount of alcohol in his system but also due to his target moving, Hidan missed and only succeeded in unbalancing himself. This made it easy for Sasori to shove him onto the ground. A swift kick to the head was all that was needed the render Hidan unconscious as, again he alcohol influenced mind was hardly at its sharpest.

"Oi, kid. You gonna sit there all night?"

Deidara suddenly realised he was still sitting on the floor, staring at his friends unconscious body. He moved to Hidan's side and wrapped one arm around his friend's waist and the other to hold his arm when it was firmly over Deidara's shoulder.

Sasori watched with keen curiosity. He had watched the two fighting so viciously but now the blonde was trying to help the fool-mouthed teen.

_So he's loyal too… _

"Kid, what are you doing?"

The blonde grinned and pulled Hidan up so he had a better hold on him.

"Well I can't leave him out here, un!" Seeing confusion flash in the other man's eyes, Deidara tried explaining a little more.

"He's my best friend; it's just he gets a little violent when he's drunk, un. I'm used to it by now!"

Sasori's eyebrows practically shot into his hair.

"He does this often?"

Deidara's eyes widen when he realised the implications of his words.

"Oh no, un! What I mean is, um… Well, un-" He started to gabble incoherent sentences but was saved the embarrassment when Sasori interrupted him again.

"Look, I don't have time for this nonsense. You need any help with him?" Sasori didn't wait for an answer before standing on the other of side of Hidan and hooking his own arm under the unconscious boy's armpits.

"Lead the way." Sasori had to prompt Deidara to move as the blonde was stood stock still, gawping at the red-headed stranger.

"Oh yeah, un. This way…" And the two acquaintances begin to make their way back to Deidara's house.

* * *

A/N: Well, I bet you didn't expect that! To be honest, neither did I! Oh the joys of no planning! Which brings me to the point of, 'If you have any ideas or thoughts, please don't hesitate to tell me about them!" My original idea has started to evade me! (AKA I have an awful memory... srs.)

And for the record, I love Hidan. He is made of win and sparkles. Well, maybe not sparkles, but you get the idea…


	4. Demoliton Nights

**Disclaimer: I Don't Own Naruto. **Damn.

**A/N:** And it's here! The much awaited (not really) chapter four of 'Tagged'! I hope this lives up to expectations because I really am winging it with these chapters! I have a vague plotline but nothing specific, so any ideas/wants/demands are welcome. Also any pairing requests will be taken into consideration and possibly used.

**Warning:** Much Hidan- I mean swearing.

* * *

The pair exchanged little conversation on the way back to Deidara's house as both were too busy concentrating on holding the still totally-out-of-it Hidan upright. Besides, Sasori was spending the time thanking any deity whose name he could recall for his lucky break and Deidara was attempting to keep his hormones in check.

Who the hell was this gorgeous red head, and why did he help Deidara out? It wasn't as though fights were an uncommon thing in this area, so what made the blond so special that this stranger would go out of his way to help him? He shook his head in an attempt to clear it but the action only served to aid an oncoming headache.

The movement didn't go unnoticed by Sasori who turned to look at the younger boy, frowning.

"You okay?" His voice sounded out of place in the half silence the two had become used to.

"Huh? Oh, yeah…" Deidara hesitated. They were almost at his block of flats but he still didn't know the other man's name. This was stranger behaviour for the blonde since usually he couldn't shut up and he was very outgoing. There was just something about this guy though, that made him want to take a step back and look at the whole picture, rather then his usual method of rushing headlong into things. And despite his best efforts, Deidara couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else about this stranger. Something more then met the eye.

Coming out of his thoughts, the blonde looked up and saw the building he called 'home' looming over them and decided to take the plunge.

"Hey, I didn't catch your name before…"

"It's Sasori." The red head paused to inspect Deidara from out of the corner of his eye. "You're Deidara Iwa, right?"

"Yeah, how did you know, un?" Deidara furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Oh, I saw your picture on the wall of the restaurant you work at." It wasn't entirely a lie, Sasori reasoned with himself, just not the whole truth.

Deidara laughed quietly, the sound seeming very out of place amongst the dark bruises starting to develop on his face. "Jeez, those photos are so bad! Seriously, they could have warned me to at least brush my hair or something, un!" He continued chuckling at the memory of being shoved in front of a camera, not knowing what was happening on the morning of a bad-hair-day.

The blonde suddenly realised that they were outside his home, by the steps outside his flat that only just got away with being called a porch.

"Anyway, this is my stop." Deidara shifted his arm to be able to support more of Hidan's weight. "See ya around, Sasori."

Sasori paused again, as if biding his time before replying, "Yeah, see you… 'Blast'."

Shock was written clearly across Deidara's face and that was answer enough. Sasori nodded lightly, unhooked his arm from around Hidan and made to move away, back down the street.

"Whoa, hang on!" Deidara struggled to hold up Hidan on his own. He dumped his friend on the steps outside the block of flats, deciding that he was more then entitled to considering the amount of trouble his friend had got him into that night. Running the few steps that separated him from Sasori, his hand automatically grasped onto the red head's arm and pulled him around so they were facing each other.

"How do you know about that name, un?" Deidara demanded, he looked panicked and his eyes showed distrust. It was dangerous for strangers to know who you were in Konoha City, more so if they just happened to show up out of the blue to help you. The whole situation worried the blonde and he didn't like it one bit. Sasori only smirked.

"I know many things, Deidara." His hand reached up to tousle the blonde's hair, earning him an irritated glare and a rough shove to the shoulder. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you again soon enough." Turning on his heel, Sasori left the younger man with a quick wink and walked away.

Deidara was about to follow and drag the man back so that he could quiz him more about what the hell he was talking about when he heard Hidan groaning on the floor.

"Blondie! Why does my head feel like it's been pounded in?!" He called. Deidara turned to see the man clutching his head, his face screwed up in pain. "Fuck, I need some painkillers… Blondie get your arse over here, now!"

Deidara twisted back round just in time to see a flash of red hair whip around the corner at the end of the street and out of sight. Sighing in exasperation, he jogged back to Hidan and helped to haul his friend up to his apartment. He was eager to get inside, worried about who else knew about him.

Deidara had managed to help Hidan to his front door in relatively little time, the silver haired man bitching and whining about the speed of Deidara's walking and his 'bangin' headache'.

"You don't sound like your fucking ill, un!" Deidara hissed as he fumbled around in his pocket for the front door keys. Hidan had since managed to stand up on his own and was currently leaning on the wall, looking as though he owned the place.

"You wouldn't be fucking saying that if you knew how my fucking head was feeling!" Hidan retorted, swaying slightly on his heels.

"Don't fucking swear at me Hidan! Do you understand how much your fucking steel-toed boots hurt when kicked into your bloody stomach?!" His face crumpled from rage to panic as Deidara collapsed onto the couch, his head resting in his hands. "Fuck Hidan, that guy knows who I am, un." He shouted into his hands. "He knows my name…" He finished, speaking more softly this time.

If Hidan didn't know any better then he would have sworn Deidara was about to cry. However he had known the boy in question for a long time and never had he seen him shed a tear. Forgetting all about his supposed ailments, Hidan placed his attempt at a comforting arm around the hunched figure of his best friend.

"What do you mean 'knows who you are', Blondie?" Concern etched into his voice. It wasn't something that happened often to Hidan and so showed that he was very worried about him.

"Exactly what it sounds like!" Deidara all but shouted, his hands tightening into little balls of frustration. "When you were out of it we were talking about stuff and he just said 'bye Blast' and tried to walk off, un!"

"What, you let him go?!"

"Hell no! I tried to go after him but you fucking woke up and started moaning at me!"

"Hey! You trying to blame me for this, Blondie?" Hidan accused, his quick temper flaring up inside but being just as rapidly doused at the look on his friends face.

"No, it's just… Oh shit Hidan. What do I fucking do, un?" Hidan knew as well as Deidara that the graffiti artist 'Blast' had some skills that a lot of gangs would kill for. Literally. Konoha City was run by underground gangs and groups, the police only being there for show. The whole place was corrupt and the rivalry between Akatsuki and the Suna Group was only a tiny part of a far bigger and more terrifying picture. Deidara didn't want his friends to end up getting hurt or for people to find out about his connections with the Akatsuki.

He could feel his anger and stress bubbling away in the pit of his stomach so Hidan took a deep breath and counted to ten, just like his therapist instructed.

"Well for a start, stop whining like a pansy-ass girl and grow a fucking back bone. Secondly, stop swearing so much. God Blondie, you're starting to fucking sound like me!"

-

What had caused Sasori to act in such a brash manner? He couldn't understand what had gotten into him! Usually Sasori would calculate his moves carefully, something he was very proud of. However tonight he'd simply acted on a whim and helped that Deidara kid. He tried convincing himself it was because he'd never get an opportunity to approach the boy in such an easy way again but he knew it was something else. He was interested in the blonde. Sasori wanted him in his gang, that much was undeniable, but he also want to understand the brat. Why hadn't he fought back when attacked by his friend? How had he learnt to paint so well? These questions and a lot more buzzed in his mind and it made the red-head feel uneasy.

'_Why do I care?'_ He asked his mind, not exactly expecting an answer back. Instead it fuelled his pondering and continued thinking about the blonde.

'_You care because knowing about someone is a sign of trust. You'll need his trust for him to accept your offer.'_That made sense, he reasoned. It was nothing about getting close to the brat. It was a matter of trust and gentle manipulation. The manipulation Sasori could handle easily but it was the trust that worried him.

It had been years since he'd last trusted somebody enough to consider them a true friend. That had been in high school with his crush, Sakura. He'd really liked her and had revealed some of his deepest secrets, things that he'd wished he'd never spoken of, to her. Unfortunately she had broken that trust by spreading rumours and telling others about Sasori's past, unwittingly shattering the red heads trust in people.

So could Sasori bring himself to trust Deidara, or at least seem as though he trusted the blonde? It would be difficult for him, Sasori knew that but it was a necessary action for the Suna Group to reinstate their hold over the Akatsuki as the most influential gang in Konoha City. That was his goal and nothing was going to dissuade him from it.

Sasori kicked his way through the city centre, a frown plastered over his usually emotionless face. It was late at night and only the shadiest of characters slinked around in the shadows at such times. Anybody with any sense of self-preservation wouldn't dare walk around Konoha City at such times unless they had either a ruthless reputation or crazy-ass fighting skills. Preferably both. Sasori, however, didn't have much of a problem. He knew his way around the city like the palm of his hand and had quickly memorized the best routes to avoid trouble on his way home when he'd moved house years ago. Cutting through the Central Plaza and doing a bit of fence hopping, Sasori was soon home.

Sasori lived in a more uptown apartment as opposed to the flat Deidara rented but it wasn't exactly the lap of luxury either. Sasori didn't feel like he needed a huge place to live, what with him hardly ever being at home and all. Besides, the red head would rather spend his money on things that he needed rather then a big box made from bricks and mortar.

As soon as he'd made his way through the door Sasori headed towards the shower. It was as though he were on autopilot, his body knowing the routine whilst his mind wallowed in thought. After having taken a shower and got changed without consciously thinking about his actions, Sasori found himself sitting on the edge of his bed rubbing the bridge of his nose delicately. Throwing the covers off the bed and onto the floor, the read head lay on the bed with his hands clasped behind his head, staring at the ceiling. It was too hot for him to tolerate the duvet tonight.

Sasori had another dreamless night, only to wake when the sun shone through the broken slats in his blinds.

**

* * *

**

A/N:

Aww, poor untrusting Sasori… Don't look at me like that; _somebody_ had to have an angst-ridden past! It's part of the 'Unwritten Code of AU-Fics'.

(Ps: I love writing Hidan. He makes me giggle!)


	5. Dusky Dawns

**Disclaimer: I Don't Own Naruto.** But I do own two Dei and 'Sori plushies.

**A/N:** This is a SasoDei fic and therefore there will be no HiDei (as much as I love it). Hidan and Deidara's relationship is platonic. Yes, I do believe that men can hug other men and not want to fuck their brains out. It's that thing called 'Friendship', you know?

* * *

Deidara woke up the next day and found himself curled on one side of his couch, head resting on Hidan's shoulder with his friends arm draped around his neck. He smiled at the comforting gesture and closed his eyes whilst sighing gently. It was times like this when Deidara truly appreciated having found a friend like Hidan after moving to Konoha City. Without him, the blonde often wondered what sort of a mess he'd have found himself tangled up in. Sure, Hidan was rude, brash and sometimes arrogant but in the times when it really mattered, the older man could be like the family Deidara had left behind in Iwagakure.

What was he going to do about that guy, Sasori? He'd obviously been doing his research because Deidara had put a lot of effort into covering his tracks and the persona 'Blast' was damn near impossible to follow up on. The Akatsuki didn't want a repeat of their last tagger and so had spent a lot of time in hiding his true identity. It wasn't the sort of information one would just stumble across, so there must have been a reason for this Sasori-guy to find and approach him. It wouldn't be about the Akatsuki, that much Deidara was certain of. Only the top brass (I.e.: Leader, Miss Blue and Hidan) were meant to know about Deidara being 'Blast'. All the others (apart from Tobi, who had found out by mistake) were fed various false aliases and names.

Why had he have to go and get mixed up in this crazy shit anyway? Weren't gangs the reason he left Iwa in the first place?

'_So many questions…'_ Deidara mused, _'And none that I can answer!'_

He wriggled out from the protective grasp of Hidan, somehow managing to do it without awakening the older man, and wandered into the kitchen. Upon opening the door the half ditsy blonde remembered that he hadn't been to the shops for a while and thus had nothing to eat.

Wandering back over to the sleeping figure of Hidan, Deidara slipped on his trainers, leaving the laces undone, and poked his friend in the shoulder sharply.

"Ngh, what…?" Hidan yawned, eyes closing tight against the invading light.

"I'm going out to get some stuff to fill the fridge. You want anything in particular for breakfast?"

"Yeah, more fucking sleep." And with those eloquent words Hidan rolled over and buried his face in the back of the couch.

"Fine then, be a moody bitch…" Deidara snickered, only gaining a cushion in the face for a reply.

-

Sasori's early morning was spent trying to convince his conscience that revealing himself to Deidara was a good idea, instead of being the best way to scare the young boy off before they'd even met properly. He still couldn't understand why he'd acted so impulsively last night.

'_A__nd what was with the wink I left him with?!'_

Sasori sighed, sitting on the edge of his bed rubbing the bridge of his nose slowly, eyes closed. The smooth circular movements helped to calm him into a somewhat happier state. Cracking open one of his eyes, Sasori glanced towards the window that was letting the fresh morning sunlight through to warm the room. He watched the specks of dust dancing in the warm air, wishing that he could preserve such an innocent picture of calm.

'_Beautiful, yet not quite art. It will disappear soon enough…'_

No sooner had he thought that, the sun was quickly covered by the ever-present smog of Konoha and the sight vanished.

Sasori sighed again, letting the stream of air whistle through his teeth into some sort of broken tune. Pushing himself up off his bed and towards the kitchen, he decided that a cup of coffee would help to clear his head.

As the kettle boiled Sasori watched the steam curling out of the spout. He could really do with getting a new kettle because the one currently sat in his kitchen took a long time to boil and the handle was being held together with an aged combination of masking tape and blue-tack. When he heard the switch flick up, indicating the object had done its job, Sasori made the drink on auto-pilot not even bothering to take notice that the milk had gone off.

Sasori was so lost in his own thoughts that it wasn't until he'd taken a sip of the coffee that he realised he'd used sour milk.

"Ugh, that's disgusting!"

Sasori gagged at the vile taste left in his mouth from the milk. Pouring the spoilt coffee down the drain whilst running the cold water tap, Sasori rinsed him mouth out in an attempt at getting rid of the rotten flavour left there.

Unable to function properly without his daily dose of caffeine running through his system, the still half-asleep red head shrugged on a jacket and kicked on a pair of loose shoes to go to the supermarket. It was still relatively early so it shouldn't be too noisy or busy with school kids, something that Sasori really didn't need, what with the oncoming headache and all.

-

Deidara decided to go to the slightly more 'uptown' supermarket today. Mainly because the last time he went to the convenience store at the end of his road, he was practically mugged by a rat the size of a bear. Well, not quite as big as a bear but it was pretty damn close. Besides the walk there would do him good and help clear his mind.

Deidara loved walking, especially in the early morning when the world was only just starting to wake up. The usually busy streets were so much quieter, a side of Konoha City only the lucky (or unlucky, whichever way you want to see it) got to witness. The air felt cleaner too and helped to drag Deidara out of his sleepy state. However, despite the freshness of the morning, it was still cold and the blonde hurried down the streets anxious to get to the shops. A faint smile made its self known on Deidara's face as he turned the corner and was greeted with the sight of The Konoha Supermarket.

The Konoha Supermarket was, to put it bluntly, huge. It catered for people from all walks of life, from the super-rich living in their penthouse apartments to the people slumming it on the east side of the canal. Open twenty four hours a day, it was a glowing landmark in the dingy city both day and night. It wasn't uncommon to find people doing their weekly shop at two in the morning either; such was the mindset of the residents of Konoha City.

Wandering through the automatic doors, the young blonde took his normal route around the shop on auto-pilot, giving him the chance to look around at the other shoppers in the store. Deidara didn't really cared for the building itself but enjoyed watching the different people who congregated under its roof. So many and all there for unique reasons. The young mum whose baby's ill and needed fever medicine, the old man who decided that the vase on the window sill looked odd without flowers or the student who suddenly had a craving for maple syrup in the middle of his revision.

Deidara had been totally consumed by his own thoughts when he felt himself collide with the back of someone, sending both of them to the floor. The blonde quickly jumped up and offered and hand to the other person automatically.

"Oh sorry! I totally wasn't watching where -" Deidara started before realising who it was he'd walked straight into. Blazing red hair, drowsy brown eyes and a face like a doll? Yup, this was no doubt the Sasori he'd met yesterday.

He was about to retracted the outstretched hand, and turn to run when it was firmly grasped and used to help haul the slightly dazed red-head of the floor. Deidara tugged at his hand, willing the man to let go but Sasori kept a firm grip on it, knowing that if he lessened his hold the blonde would be out of the shop faster then a writer running from the cops.

A few awkward seconds passed with Sasori maintaining his hold on Deidara's arm and Deidara fighting feelings of both fear and worry. And where in the seven levels of Hell was the blush coming from?! After the young blonde had stopped fighting against the hold and Sasori deemed it 'safe', the red-head let go but carried on watching the other boy. This did nothing to help ease the growing warmth on Deidara's face but Sasori took not notice of his discomfort.

"Well, un?" Deidara started, if only to break the silence that had been suffocating him. He shifted his eyes away from the man in front of him and thought he realised he could have legged it and ran for the metaphorical hills, Deidara froze under Sasori's gaze. It felt as though he was being analysed. He didn't like it one bit.

"Well what?" The red head answered back, frowning.

"Aren't you going to, I don't know un, pull out a gun and threaten me with violence?"

Sasori snorted with amusment. "And what would that achieve, brat?" He sighed and looked to one side, refusing to meet Deidara's eyes.

_Ah well, if this is what is__ what it boils down to, lying works for me._

"Look, it's not like I'm part of any gang, right." He winced inwardly. He could just tell this lie was going to come around and bite him on the ass some time soon. "I'm just a fellow artist and I guess you could say I was 'intrigued' by you." The red head risked a glance at the other's face and could see that he wasn't buying his sorry excuse of a lie.

"'Intrigued', un?" Deidara's voice was laced with distrust and Sasori knew he'd have to get rid of it to make his plan work.

"Yeah, you're pretty hard to track down, you know? Took me a while."

"Should be nigh impossible…" Deidara muttered under his breath, just too quiet for Sasori to hear. However, before he could get sucked into his own thoughts once more, Deidara's ears picked upon the red head talking again. He knew he should listen carefully and keep his guard up, not knowing whether or not this guy could be trusted.

"I know you have no reason for trusting me but don't you think if I wanted you dead I would have killed you last night when your friend was out cold?" Sasori tried reasoning with the blonde.

"I guess, un…" Deidara was still unsure about this guy. True, he wasn't dead yet and it would be pretty easy for Sasori to just knife him right now and run. The shop wasn't busy and no one was around.

"Besides, you're pretty skilled. If anything, I'd be asking you to join me rather then trying to get rid of you." Sasori saw the fear flit through Deidara's visible eye and this caught his interest.

"I don't do gangs, un." The younger of the pair quickly stated. His bright blue eye shifted from side to side worriedly.

'_Does__ this brat have a grudge against gangs?' _Sasori smirked inwardly,_ 'Well, we'll have to solve that little problem…'_

"No, I just meant hypothetically, brat." Sasori was starting to get tried of this conversation. He was still uncharacteristically nervous about Deidara's reaction to him but the usual impatient streak most people saw in the red head was starting to shine through too. Sasori sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Look, I don't have time for this… If you want to, meet me at Canal Park at six tonight, by the band stand." He turned around without waiting for the blonde's reply. If he was correct in thinking, Deidara would be curious enough to turn up, maybe not show his self outright, but defiantly turn up.

Deidara watched the older mans retreating back in stunned silence. He'd just had a conversation with the only person outside the Akatsuki who knew his street persona, 'Blast' and had got away in one piece! The question was though, would he go and meet Sasori later tonight? He couldn't see any reason not to, other then the obvious risk to his life. But since when had the feisty blonde ever done things the safe or easy way?

One thing was certain though: Deidara wasn't telling Hidan about this. Well, not yet anyway...

* * *

**A/N: **Yey, an update! Oh dear Lord, how out of character was that…? Answer: Very.  
I realise how OOC it was so please don't comment on that. I was finding it difficult to write this chapter... And the ending seems rushed but it wasn't!

To clear up any confusion about this:  
Deidara knows the Sasori does graffiti but not that his alias is 'Akasuna' or that he's part of the 'Suna Group'.  
Sasori knows Deidara's alias is 'Blast' but doesn't know he's part of the 'Akatsuki'.

Hope that cleared things up! See you next chapter!


End file.
